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CBBC Newsround has a follow up on the news from yesterday regarding the actress to play Lavender Brown in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Readers will remember Rupert Grint mentioned a girl named Jessie for the part; her full name is now confirmed to be Jessie Cave, and you can see a photo of her via this link to Newsround. The article notes Ms. Cave “is 20 years old. Your first chance to see Jessie on screen though will be in CBBC drama Summerhill going out early next year. It’s not known if Jessie attended the open auditions for Lavender.” UPDATE: Newsround now has an image gallery online, hereUpdate 2: Newsround has now added video of Jessica in her upcoming appearance in “Summerville”. To watch, click here.

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“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” does continue with production, and will be released in theaters November 21, 2008. Thanks to BBC.

190 Responses to Jessie Cave to Play Lavender Brown

says:

She’s cute. First yay !!!!!!!!!

says:

First!

I’m jealous, lucky girl

says:

Her eyes are beautiful. Very good choice, can’t wait to see her on screen.

says:

I think she looks really pretty, and in some way, really lav-Lav-ish :P :D

says:

Woah, she is gorgeous. It’s nice to have someone with experience in the role (not that it’s necessary).

says:

yay! so glad that was confirmed. she looks perfect, I can’t wait to hate her guts…

says:

Yes! She’s like I imagined her…actually, she’s prettier! Oh, Emma is going have some good competition! What puzzles me is that she’s 20….a bit older than Rupert, but hey, I like her pic…we’ll have to see her acting to be sure. :D

says:

B-eautiful! :D

says:

she is really beautiful. I saw the other pics on the site here

http://ajmanagement.co.uk/clientDetail.asp?intClientID=267

she has beautiful eyes and wonderful hair. I cam imagine her as Lavender. Maybe it is good she already has acting experience.

says:

Lizetm, I think Rupert’s 19. Did you mean she is a bit older than Ron and Lavender in the book?

says:

She looks perfect for the part.

says:

She looks almost exactly like my mental picture of Lavender (I imagined her as a bit more blonde)! Can’t wait to see the film :)

says:

She’s perfect. Exactly what I pictured Lavender to be. Yet another inspired choice by Warner Bros. I can’t wait for HBP.

says:

Sorry for the double post.

says:

Oooh, she will be just about perfect! Very pretty! Can’t wait to see her huffing and puffing about no one telling her that Ron was in the hospital wing. I really can’t wait another year!

says:

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! She’s so pretty. Very Lav-Lav! Perfect!

says:

OMG! She is so pretty!

says:

lizetm, Rupert’s 19. (My age squeals) So actually, they’re both a little older for their character’s age. Plus I’m sure they’ll make her look younger if they need/want to.

She’s perfect! And quite beautiful…she’s the Lavender I pictured in my head. Just not as wide-eyed.

says:

Here are some more pics of her:
http://i5.tinypic.com/7wj4k28.jpg
http://i4.tinypic.com/8aeaa78.jpg

says:

Sorry, I meant for each link to be in a separate line, dunno what happened!

http://i5.tinypic.com/7wj4k28.jpg

http://i4.tinypic.com/8aeaa78.jpg

says:

She’s quite pretty and it should be funny to see Hermione fuming with jealousy as Won-Won and Lav-Lav role about like a pair of eels playing sucky-face. My only complaint is that Lavender in previous films was black.

says:

I can almost see and her saying “Won-Won” right now. =D

says:

WOw, I can’t believe the people who were posting Jessie Cave a few days ago were right! How did people know this was the Jessie Rupert was talking to before this Newsround article? Psychic. Anyways, she’s really pretty. I always pictured Lavender as white, so… I konw she’s not a dead ringer for Emma Watson, but i thought they’d go with someone who looked completely different from her. I guess they want her to be similar looking as hermione so we know why ron goes after her (not that that’s the only reason.) I’m jealous of this girl already.

says:

Lauren, you made a good point. Hermione and Lavender should look a little similar because Ron actually really wants to be with Hermione and Lavender is just a temporary thing.

I hope her voice is as I imagined it as well. It certainly cannot be deep in anyway.

says:

Aw, she looks amazing and a bit like I imagine Lavander which is great!

says:

Shes very pretty! Rupert is a lucky guy….im very jealous of her getting to kiss him…. =D

says:

Not that matters, but for some reason I thought Lavender was black. Am I crazy?

says:

AWW she’s cute! I can’t wait for next November. And this time around I’m not even going to try to steer clear of “movie spoilers,” so I’ll be waiting for more pictures of her, and HOPEFULLY some stills with Rupert. ZOMG I CAN’T WAIT.

says:

David, maybe you were thinking of Angelina Johnson?

says:

Hmm. She’s beautiful, of course.

But does anyone else think she looks a bit too.. natural? I know, that sounds silly.

It’s just that I’d always imagined her to be a bit plasticy.

Like someone who might have a future in “Busty and Bewitched”...? xD Sorry, Shoebox joke.

I’m just nitpicking though, I’m sure she’ll be brilliant. Can’t wait to see her on the silver screen.

says:

Lavender’s physical appearance is never described in the books – go back and check if you don’t believe me. She was portrayed in the third movie by a black girl, but as she didn’t have any speaking parts, it probably isn’t important that she remain black. I do’nt want to get into a whole race discussion, but I don’t think it would look too good if harry, ron, hermione, and ginny all have first boyfriends/girlfriends of different races, and then end up with white soulmates. seems kind of like tokenism, so i’m glad they;re going to have lavender be white.

says:

Thats because the person who had a cameo of her in the Prisoner of Azkaban was an Aficna American girl by the name of Jennifer smith- but way to go Warner Bros. The casting for these new characters is really good- not that they have ever let us down with casting before. Now we have a pretty face to put with Narcissa and Lavender, Now lets see the handsome young actor who will play Tom Riddle- it still should be Chritian Coulson for one of his stages of life- he did such a great job- besides as somebody said Shirley Henderson is about 40 something and she plays moaning Myrtle. I wonder what other new characters they will bring on?

says:

I KNEW they would reveal her name today!! ^ And I knew you would have this piece of news right now because the site took a long time to upload. We have her name!! YAY!! ^ She looks beautiful!! And her hair colour is just how I had imagined it!! ^^

says:

Entertainment Weekle had a “Yearbook of Hogwarts” in an issue in July that had Lavender Brown as black. Obviously that was inaccurate.

But I like her; im surprise no one’s complained yet like they did with Luna

says:

Ruperts one lucky guy ;)

says:

WOW!! It’s funny!! Because I thought that there was a possibility they used a real actress in this film, not a newcomer, because David said in an interview that he had seen lots of Lavenders, and he said it before the open audition.

But what surprise me is her age. I thought that they had put the limit in 18. At least that’s how it was in the open auditions. Whatever!! I think it’s better if she’s a experienced actress!! ^ She’s perfect for the role!! ^

says:

Wow she so hot! It’s gonna be great!

says:

Shes’s PERFECT! I love her already.

says:

She looks exactly as I pictured her to be but I pictured her alittle more bushy haired. Other than that I think she gorgeous! I wish Ginny was that pretty in the films. I always pictured Ginny being a querky little red head in the beginning and then a red head bombshell by the 6th movie. But I guess I cant say anything until I see some pics of ginny in HBP/f. Untill then I will withhold my judgement! :)

says:

She’s absolutely gorgeous! Have fun Rupert ;)

says:

It thought Lavender was black! wans’t? in the book?
sole

says:

people get confused because of poa. But I hate to say, Cauron was an idiot. He thought Lupin was gay! If you read the book carefully, Harry describes the snogging session between R/L saying that you couldnt figure out where one began and where the other one ended. That would make impossible for Lavender to be black!!! So it’s Cauron’s fault. Besides if she were I’d think JKR wouldve let them know that detail.

says:

@Soledad: She was not said to be black or white in the books. She was black in POA.

says:

@morning_star: Very good point.

says:

She’s PERFECT! I love her! I was scared she was gonna be trashy!

says:

competition for Emma that’s for sure!

I think it’s Angelina Johnson who’s described as black in the books and she featured in the films as quidditch player (POA) and Weasley twin’s partner to the Yule Ball (GOF). Different actresses each time.

says:

“He thought Lupin was gay!” As did most of the fandom. Hell, lots of us still do. But that’s another debate for another day…

Anyway, Lavender’s ethnicity is never said in the books, therefore Cuaron did nothing “wrong” by casting a black girl for the part.

says:

She’s great. I think she’s real cute. But if she gets more lines than Ginny in the film, I will kill somebody.

says:

I love her wide eyes, pretty, but just a bit spacy looking! I always pictured her hair a bit darker, but I’m glad it’s long, straight and smooth, just how I imagined her. Poor Hermione!

says:

Let’s be realistic though. The young girl (sorry her name escapes me)who played Lavender in POA didn’t have a speaking part. She was an extra with a name, that’s all.

The cool thing about Brown is we never hear what she looks like in the books. It’s completely up to our imagination.

says:

Ian said: “But if she gets more lines than Ginny in the film, I will kill somebody.”

Oh she will. WB’s seems to always dismiss Ginny.

says:

mollywobble and anita- why did you both tell lizetm that Rupert is 19? She said Jessie is older than Rupert, which is true, 20 is older than 19…

So she must have not gone through the open auditions, because people over 18 weren’t allowed to go to them!

She looks alright to me, a bit prettier than I imagined her but oh well =) I also imagined her hair to be darker.

Rosa- Bonnie Wright is pretty!!

says:

mollywobble, was she even named in the movie? I always thought people were just assuming she was Lavender.

says:

Ah, another fine choice, at least as far as her looks. And given the track record of these films, I’ve confidence in her skills, too.

I agree…but then again, look at Evanna Lynch’s staggeringly good performance as Luna. You never know!

says:

When is the new Harry Potter coming out and when is released and due.

says:

@Chrysanthemum – they wouldn’t be stupid enough to shove Ginny aside this time, would they? She finally has a really important role, and Harry & Ginny would be a HUGE draw. No I imagine they’ll play that relationship up for all it’s worth.

@morning_star: Good point, but it could’ve been a figure of speech. That is a common phrase. Either way, I don’t care ‘cos I’m pretty satisfied with Jessie. Like other people have commented before me, she has this Lavenderish look to her. She’s perfect for the part (looks-wise), now let’s hope she can act!

says:

She is gorgeous, I love her eyes. Not really how I pictured Lavender, but it seems to make sense. I think Rupert and her will look really good together…..I’m jealous!

says:

â€œSheâ€™s great. I think sheâ€™s real cute. But if she gets more lines than Ginny in the film, I will kill somebody.â€

@Ian, LOL! I donâ€™t think you should be worried. I doubt Lavender will have a lot to say other than â€œWon Wonâ€.

says:

She is really cute, but honestly they have to put an ugly person in Hogwarts sometime soon :) The population of Hogwarts is uncannily pretty…

says:

I thought u had to be younger than 20 to play lavender?

says:

I thought Lavendar was black…I could have sworn that was mentioned? Wasn’t she black in the POA movie??.....Someone tell me I’m not imagining things..

says:

She’s gorgeous (sp?)

Absolutely got my blessing to kiss Rupert!!

Great casting WB!!

says:

She looks a lot like I imagined her. If I remember, Lavender has been described as having long hair, so hopefully they’ll stick with that in the movie. :)

says:

She really does suit the (somewhat fuzzy) mental image I have of Lav-Lav. Hooray!

says:

‘I agreeâ€¦but then again, look at Evanna Lynchâ€™s staggeringly good performance as Luna. You never know!’

I know, Accio Pint. But there was a trick behind her being cast as Luna: she is just like Luna in real life!! I doubt she would be able to play any other role. Please don’t take this as bashing, it’s just my sincere opinion.

Now is a common thing for filmmakers to make open auditions and cast somebody who’s exacly like the character they have to play. And directors even admit it!! Adam Shankman did the same for Hairspray. He told in an interview that all Nikki Blonsky had to do to play Tracy was turn up there and put the wig.

I admit it’s a good way to make sure you’ll have a brilliant performance in your film, but part of me dislike this way of casting the roles. Do you really see Evanna playing somebody else, somebody different from Luna?? I don’t… They found real-life Luna and casted her, but I don’t see real-life Luna playing Shakespeare’s Juliet, and that’s why I’m happy they casted a real actress.

And I just want to make clear that I’m not trying to bash Evanna nor anything, I’m just stating my opinion. But one thing’s for sure: David made a very clever trick casting Evanna as Luna, sure nobody fitted the role like her!! =) She was really wonderful.

says:

“If you read the book carefully, Harry describes the snogging session between R/L saying that you couldnt figure out where one began and where the other one ended. That would make impossible for Lavender to be black!!! So itâ€™s Cauronâ€™s fault. Besides if she were Iâ€™d think JKR wouldve let them know that detail.” – morning_star

That comment makes no sense..color has nothing to do with the fact that he said you couldn’t tell where one began and one ended..rolls eyes

says:

Wow! She’s gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous! Probably the most gorgeous girl to ever goin Hogwarts! She could give Emma a run for her money, and I actually used to think Emma was pretty, LOL! Mind you I still think Emma is pretty, but this Jessie …. WOW! She takes my breath away!

Just one thing though, doesn’t she look a bit too wise for lav-lav? I always thought Lavender was a bit in the stupid/shallow side?

says:

hot hot hot

says:

She does look Lavenderish, I like her look. Interesting that she’s 20, I remember the auditions only being open to up to 18 year olds (I remember because if I was British I thought I would’ve been too old anyway).

says:

She looks nice, but my biggest pet peeve will be if she turns out not to be a huge harry potter fan. But she probably is…she better be. Not that you have to be a harry potter fan to be a good actor, but seriously, it would kinda suck knowing that they’re girls who are huge harry potter fans and are really good actors and they didn’t get the part. Anyway i won’t make assumptions, she looks very pretty and i’m sure she’ll be perfect.
I remember when we first got pics of Evanna, and a lot of people said that they weren’t sure about her, but I loved her from the moment we learned about her…
Anyway she must be really good if they casted a 20 year old! Oh and one more thing, I always pictured Lavender blonde, but that’s okay, look at Dan he has brown hair.

says:

Becca, I guess I misunderstood Lizetm post. When she said “She’s a bit older than Rupert,” I thought she was suggesting she was a bit “too” old for the part.

Grrrr!!! Just like with Narcissa, I am bloody disappointed AGAIN, with the casting! She is not at all how I pictured Lavender. I thought Lavendar was dark skinned or something? They need more actors of different backgrounds. What gives?

says:

she has the same name as me, weee.
she looks adorable and great for the part. as much as i am jealous of her, i can’t wait to see her in the film!
she’s gorgeous, too.
congrats to herrr!

<3

says:

Claire-

I agree. :)

You know who I picture as Narcissa? Peta Wilson. I know she’s an Aussie (right?) but god she looks like Narcissa..

I wish Lavendar would have been “dark” as well, or mixed heritage at least. It shows kids or ignorant folk, that it’s okay to mix things up a little :)

says:

Wow, she’s gorgeous! She’s got a unique, young face. Looks the part.

I hope they don’t overstress Ron/Lavendar (and Ron’s jerkiness to Hermione). I hope they stress Ron/Hermione and that he’s really just with Lavendar to get experience and get Hermione jealous.

I also hope they don’t make Harry/Ginny/Cho a love triangle. Cho hardly has a part except in Quidditch. They really didn’t seal off the relationship too well with the last one. Hope they show why Ginny fits better with Harry, because she can handle him and not cry.

I am excited though!!!

says:

Well she’s quite pretty.

My only complaint is that they’re getting old for the parts. They are 19-20 playing characters that are in their 15-16’s, I hope they can bring the quirkiness of relationships at that age and not fall into a daytime drama (aka soapopera)

And IMHO this is the prettiest actress in the movies. Prettier than Kathie, Emma, Bonnie, etc.

says:

She IS pretty.
A Bit too pretty.
I always kind of pictured LB as very plain and unnoticeable.

I thought they already casted her but I thought she was the one who helps Ginny carry Ron into the common room after he asks out/yells at Fleur.

says:

Are people assuming Lavender’s dark skinned because of her surname being Brown or something? I never had a picture of her at all except for brown hair. I guess that comes from her surname too hehehe.

says:

http://www.artdungeon.net/general/gryffindorgirls.html

yay!

says:

Quick reply to Bonnie Radcliffe (and I hope this isn’t too far off-topic…I think they made a great call with Jessie!):

I’m undecided on the question of whether Evanna could play a role that differed greatly from Luna, and from herself. She does indeed share quite a few traits with Luna, and not just the superficial ones (if I’m reading her right from her interviews). She really wouldn’t have to act much to be a convincing Luna.

But I think she may actually be doing just that: acting…and brilliantly. The portrayal is so deep, so immersive, so utterly convincing that I’m unconvinced that it can be explained just by her encyclopedic familiarity with the source and her similarity to the character. I think that to portray the wisdom, serenity, strength, and kindness beneath Luna’s dotty exterior (and do it so well that it simply is Luna) takes more. I think it takes talent.

Only one way to know, of course, and Evanna has given no indication she’s interested in acting after HP. sigh

says:

@marillawhite: Aren’t Marta’s depictions the best? I love her Hermione, Ron, Cedric, and Cho. She draws so well that when Katie was announced as Cho I was so disappointed because I like Marta’s Cho so much better (ditto for Robert as Cedric).

says:

She’s really pretty, to be honest I never thought of Lavender as being too pretty…

says:

Emma’s gonna have competition on the red carpet!

I love her cool hair in summerhill!

says:

Absolutely perfect look for the part!

says:

No I thought Lavender Brown was a black girl as well… but this girl definitely seems like a good fit for the role. We’ll find out for sure when HBP comes out.

says:

Nice looking girl
sort the face I would imagine for Lavender Brown

not that I did it much, always thought her a bit on the stupid side. The kind of girl that showed you did
not need to have brains to be Sorted in Gryffindor.

says:

Why do people keep thinking that Lavender is stupid???!? She took NEWT subjects!

says:

I’ve been reading the comments, and let me clarify my previous post to lizetm She had said “A bit old for Rupert.” I took it as she’s too old.

And for those who say Lavender’s black, A) I’ve never thought she was black to be honest. B)In the book, Jo Rowling didn’t really describe Lavender. C)Also, morning_star is right. The reason why the majority of fans picture Lavender white is b/c of that line.

says:

PEOPLE the reason you had it in your heads that she was african american is because the actress named Jennifer Smith was and she had a cameo as her in POA. Most of you have an imagination but as some have pointed out why have such sinical points of veiw towards these new cast members- if you have an imagination you should you use it- its movies- they can make the actors look however they want- do you really think that Alan and Jason have blonde and Black shoulder length hair. As fans show some more support instead of being so egocentric.

says:

By the way this previous comment was mostly because I was surprised at how many rude complaints there were toward the Narcissa Casting call – there really hasnt been any here- but even if you dont like them what are you going to do about it? you may change your mind in the end as has happened. just remeber the saying ” to each his own ” and ” if you cant say something nice its better left unsaid.”

says:

I didn’t really have a mental image of what Lavender looked like, so Ms. Cave works for me. I do think her eyes are great, though, just absolutely beautiful!

says:

I really think they got a good girl for this job. I can tell that by the way she looks that she can act clingy , jealous , and lovey-dovey , so I excpet big things :) But they better have her say Won-Won in the movie or I will be maaaad !

says:

I never really knew how to picture Lavender Brown in the books, but now.. I think this girl looks PERFECT. She looks like a clingy type of girl who’s a little insecure on the inside, and that was always how i viewed her personality in the books.

She’s also gorgeous, but not in a Fleur-like way. This is what I wanted for Ron.

But I also like how she doesn’t look like Emma Watson, but she doesn’t look completely different, as well. Great job, WB!!

CAN’T WAIT TILL HBP!!!! =)

says:

I did imagine her as REALLY STUNNING!
Almost “too good” for Ron. And as though she’s going for “fame and glory” as he’s Harry Potter’s friend and becomes the star of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, not for the looks (though I think Rupert’s quite the looker)!
Good casting there. Really good casting.

says:

I know what you mean-I cant wait for HBP either especially if you were one of the few who got to catch the sneak peek video on you tube before WB took it down- it showed the new quidditch geat scenes with harry and dumbledore and mr.weasley- and the production designer is currenting working on the orphanage it sounds like- exciting. Not to mention I get to see my to fav charc square off in Spinners end!

says:

I picyured her with dark brown hair…but….she’s really pretty and I’m sure she’ll be perfect for the part…besides it probably doesn’t matter much how I pictured her becuase it’s more of how she really is_ (how Jo pictured her)

says:

She is absolutely beautiful, she will make a perfect Lavender .

says:

i don’t think she is right for the part as Lavender as i have always seen her with jet-black hair, dark eyes and fair skinned but she is really pretty and its good that she will know how to act

says:

I’m a bit (a lot) jealous, I must say.

says:

She is so perfect so much more pretty then I imagined! YAY FOR ENVIOUS MIONE!!
Although I still would love her more blonde XD cause I wanted Lav-Lav blonde but she is just as good with brown hair :D

says:

i feel like high-fiving rupert grint.

says:

She is so cute. She has great fashion sense too. I think she’ll do a wonderful job. She looks like she’d play a good, typical school girl!

says:

We’ve known since PoA that an actress named Jennifer Brown played the character Lavendar Brown, but does anyone have a clue exactly what scene(s) she is in, and how she can be identified from among the other extras (mostly unnamed)?

I checked earlier today, and couldn’t find any pictures of the young actress Jennifer Brown online.

says:

Yeah, I really hope that Emma dyes her hair a darker shade so that it’s a real contrast to Lavender’s. I think that’ll just make their differences even more evident, through their hair. Does that sound a bit silly? lol

says:

She’s perfect for Lavender! She’s very pretty. And I can’t wait to hear her giggling :P

says:

What is funny is that the way you guys talked this girl was a knock out. Then I looked at the pics. Not overly impressed. She’s pretty but not gorgeous by any means. Emma and katie are prettier by far. She is better looking than Bonnie though. I’m beginning to think anybody who is an actress is gorgeous in your eyes. LOL.

says:

I also imagined Lavender as black, in 1998, two years BEFORE the FIRST movie ever came out. I guess she is never described as black, but that is how I pictured her, I guess because of her name. I have imagined characters as the wrong race before though. I remember when I read the first book I missed the part that described Dean as black, also Lee Jordan. Those mistakes were quickly rectified. However it was not until the the fifth book came out that I realized Angelina Johnson was black. I’d imagined her as white for so long that I’m still unable to picture her as black.

says:

She’s stunning! Best looking girl to ever make it to the HP films, hands down!

says:

budb said:”Weâ€™ve known since PoA that an actress named Jennifer Brown played the character Lavendar Brown, but does anyone have a clue exactly what scene(s) she is in, and how she can be identified from among the other extras?”

She is sitting in Trelawneys class beside Parvati Patil. In the books she and Parvati are best friends, so this was the only distinguishing moment in POA that I saw.

says:

Wow she is so pretty. She is prettier than Katie, Bonnie, Clemence, and even Emma. Although I think Emma has a more sophisitcated look about her.

About Jesse getting more lines than Bonnie, If that is the case I have come to the conclusion it is not due to the directors preference but to actress’ acting skills. Not all the directors could be dismissing the character of Ginny. Esprecially a character that is so beloved by fandom.

says:

It’s funny how some people think she looks blonder than they imagined Lavender, and others think she’s more brunette than they imagined!

says:

Kat said:”About Jesse getting more lines than Bonnie, If that is the case I have come to the conclusion it is not due to the directors preference but to actressâ€™ acting skills. Not all the directors could be dismissing the character of Ginny. Esprecially a character that is so beloved by fandom.”

Except that Bonnie has had more acting experience than either Emma, Katie or Evanna. She has played other characters very well including a young Agatha Christie. She didn’t get these roles by being a marginally talented actor. I really do think there is something strange about it.

says:

The reason so many of us see Lavender as a black girl isn’t just because of the Prisoner of Azkaban (movie). Like many of the other Harry Potter movies, parts that did not have speaking roles were still filled by the same actors that had speaking roles in other movies. We’ve seen Lavender in more than just that one movie (Parvati changed actors between movies 3 and 4, but there are surprisingly few changes to the cast, even in secondary parts).

If you look back in the Leaky archives, you’ll find another post from me predicting that WB would cast a white actress. Why? Because in the Half-Blood Prince, two Weasleys begin dating and if they had kept the actors the same BOTH would have been black.

You’re a real class act, WB.

says:

Chrysanthemum “Except that Bonnie has had more acting experience than either Emma, Katie or Evanna. She has played other characters very well including a young Agatha Christie. She didnâ€™t get these roles by being a marginally talented actor. I really do think there is something strange about it.”

I am not disputing that she hasn’t acted before but acting experience doesn’t make someone a better actor either. I am not even saying she is a bad actress (and how could I? There is nothing to base it on.)but if she has the same lack of apperannce in this film as the others what other conclusion can there be? Ginny hate by all the directors? If it was one film she lacked in I would dismiss this. But this many? HBP is Ginny’s coming out book. If she barely shows in HBP there can be no other explanation. Sorry to say it. But I can’t believe that that many directors would dismiss the character. I’d be very happy to see Bonnie shine but I am not holding my breath.

says:

Yes, I too always imagined Lavender as ablack girl, even before POA. I imagined her to be like Tatiana Ali on “The Fresh Prince”(Ashley). oh well, i guess she got hit by an Albinus Totalis Jinx!

says:

I’m one more who pictured Lavender as black, and prior to POA. Actually, I didn’t picture her as very dark but rather, well, brown. So perhaps the name does have something to do with it. But of course, there really isn’t any physical description of her anywhere in the books, so any kind of girl would have been all right.

I think this is why the response to her has been almost all positive, as well – we have nothing to judge her against except some nebulous ideas.

says:

Incidentally, I was (perhaps inappropriately) amused that several people referred to Jennifer Smith as African-American. ... She’s not American!

says:

Joe, Lavender was not in the GoF film or OOtP. Did you expect them to bring her back after those two films, especially when she was just an extra in POA?

Second of all, Lavender Brown is not described in the books. It’s very likely that JKR told WB what she looked like. Clearly what she looks like isn’t supposed to be that big of a deal, or Jo would have made it an important point. Besides, this isn’t the first time we’ve interracial dating in the movies. Does Cho Change ring a bell? You mentioned that a Weasley twin took Angelina Johnson to the Yule Ball. Well Harry and Ron took Pavarti and Padma.

There is no reason for your sarcastic comment.

says:

GoffGurl, Lavender’s ethnicity isn’t in the books. So how can you assume she isn’t white?

says:

Chrysanthemum, that makes sense, I’ll pop the film in and freeze at that scene. Still, would be nice to have confirmation.

says:

Oh for crying out loud. Why does she have to be “ethnic”? HP is hardly a white supremacist movie and is full of ethncities. I never saw Lavender as black. Unless a character is described or has an obviously ethnic name I assume they are white. In places other than the US – where quite a number of people live, the name Lavender is not actually synonymous with Black people. Parvati, Seamus, Viktor, Fleur – their names tell you something. Lavender says nothing ethnic.

says:

Just two points, then no more in what promises to be yet another shouting match.

First, there is no description of Lavender in the books, so we all used our imagination to fill in the picture. For me, it was the personality that triggered memories of someone I knew a long time ago, in my own school days. But, this discussion reminds me of those surrounding Hannah Abbott—all there is in the books is that she wore her hair in pigtails! And for Pansy Parkinson, she’s simply got a pug face…many of us pictured her as blonde in our imaginations, perhaps to match Draco? Please, we need to separate books and movies!

Second, it would be very interesting to know, precisely because of other recent bickerings, how many of those posting went scurrying to the HP Lexicon to see if a description of Lavender was posted there?

Please disagree politely.

says:

Ok not sure I see why it would have been a big deal if both Ginny and Ron were dating black people. Lavender is not described at all in the books, I donâ€™t even think her hair color is mentioned. By that she could have really be anything from white to red. I know a lot of people felt she was white after that scene in HBP but I interpreted it differently. That Harry was just saying they were so close and into each other that itâ€™s like they had become one. I didnâ€™t take it literally that he couldnâ€™t tell who was who, because honestly even the people of the same race are different shades. Plus Ronâ€™s arms would no doubt been a bit bigger then LavLavâ€™s.

says:

Dobby_rocks, I agree. I think Jo was just describing a big jumbled mess of body parts. Fans are allowed to imagine Lavender, or any character for that matter, how they want. However it’s not appropriate to call WB “white supremacists” for seeing her as a white character.

says:

i’m trying to imagine her hanging out with Parvati… they’d be a set of contrasting good looks. but ooh i hope she can carry herself as Lavender. the HBP movie should have the scene when she puts her hands over his eyes and trills, “Guess who, Won-Won =P

says:

Absolutely gorgeous! Yay! She’s so lucky to get to snog Rupert. Like that’s her job. LOL.

says:

This director is making me sick! He ruined the 5th Harry Potter movie, and it seems like he is trying to ruin this movie. I find it really werid that he got kids in the movie who can’t act, but he worried about chemisty? Give me a break, worry about acting!!! Also why the heck is Luna and Cho in the movie? Cho has NO lines in the book and Luna is HARDLY there! I bet a million dollars that they keep that stupid party thing and cut out the best part of that sceen which is the Draco/Snape sceen.

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@Katie

Negative much?

says:

Katie, and I know it’s easy to get worked up about these little details (what are fans for ;) ) but I think maybe we should wait to see a little more progress on this movie before we judge it- you never know what scenes they’ll keep in. I think it said that this actress, Jessie, has some acting experience, if that’s what you’re worried about.
But I was also wondering why Cho was casted in this one…
Anyway, I think Jessie will be wonderful as Lavender!! She’s very pretty, and I can easily imagine her saying ‘Won- Won!,’ heehee

says:

She’s really pretty but not what i expected I always had a a clear picture of how i imagined her but she’ s still really good! I liked how someone said it before: I can’t wait to hate her guts! lol xxxx

says:

Seeing as Jo probably helped describe Lavender to the WB, this should be considered what Lav (generally) looks like in the books.

says:

That girl is just fantastic!!!

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My fear is that they’ll enlarge Cho’s role in the movie to the expense of Dean Thomas, and perhaps not feature his relationship with Ginny at all. I hope I’m in the wrong here.

says:

‘But I think she may actually be doing just that: actingâ€¦and brilliantly. The portrayal is so deep, so immersive, so utterly convincing that Iâ€™m unconvinced that it can be explained just by her encyclopedic familiarity with the source and her similarity to the character. I think that to portray the wisdom, serenity, strength, and kindness beneath Lunaâ€™s dotty exterior (and do it so well that it simply is Luna) takes more. I think it takes talent.’

I think it all comes down to opinion. I can’t say I agree with you, but I can’t tell you you’re not right. I have always seen Evanna as real-life Luna, with all the traits you have just mentioned about Luna, like serenity and kindness, and the dotty exterior!! =) In a good way!! ;) That makes her acting a lot easier for her. But those things that made her so perfect for the role of Luna may be the same things that could give her a bad time if she ever wanted to keep acting. I think (and again I’m just stating my opinion) that she may not be able to get rid of those traits if she were to play another role. The key to her perfect portrayal of Luna in OotP is that she didn’t get rid of her personality, but the question is if she would be able to do so.

And that’s where it all comes down to opinion. You think she could do it, and I have my doubts. The thing is that I won’t be able to prove my opinion until I see her doing something else, which I’d love to!! ^ I’m very curious as to how she’d portray other characters. But if she never acts again, I’ll never be able to see how she deals with other roles =( I’d like to see her doing more things. I’ve actually thought that it would be could if she had a role in a film of Tim Burton, since she loves his work!! ^

says:

shes absolutely perfect
i love how she looks! :)

says:

my gosh she’s 20 and she’s supposed to be 16?! well, i guess tom felton’s in the same situation but it seems weird that she’s older than rupert. i’m sure she’ll be fine: she’s pretty close to what i imagend her to look like.

says:

Have any of you heard of optimisim- good lord we have over a year before this movie comes out and you are thinking about all the possible worst scenarios. Like me and someone else have said we should be happy we are getting new characters- You guys butcherd the news about Narcissa saying she was not pretty enough? c’mon lets grow up a little and now after this gay debate not to long ago we decide hell lets have another pointless one over race. They will all do justice to the characters, and How Helen looks can be made to look more like Narcissa she is certainly not Ugly – that is just plain rude to say about anybody!

says:

I think she looks perfect! Very close to how I imagined her.

I understand that some people may be upset that she’s not how they pictured her. However, you cannot be angry with the casting people for not casting a black girl. Lavender was NEVER described in the books, and Jo has never said what her ethnicity is. You cannot base your opinion on the extra who was called Lavender Brown in the POA film, because she’s in OOTP (in the Umbridge’s class scene) except now she has Hufflepuff clothes on! She was always just an extra, and they use her to fill up a class along with many other kids! I think it’s more likely that they asked Jo about her ethnicity for this casting and got her approval for Jessie instead of an extra.

If you think that she’s black because of her name, then you can do that. Everyone pictures the characters differently and since she’s never described it’s sort of a free for all. Personally I always pictured her with brown hair, because her last name’s brown, but if she has blonde in the film it makes no difference to me.

You also don’t know what type of girls the casting directors saw. The number two girl could have been black, but they chose the one with the best acting skills and who Rupert was most comfortable with, which is the most important thing. There’s plenty of interracial dating: Ginny/Dean, Harry/Parvati and Ron/Padma (well I wouldn’t call it dating, but they went to a ball together), and Fred/Angelina. Even Hermione/Krum was interracial, he was Bulgarian she was English.

says:

Oh, I forgot Harry/Cho!

says:

Personally, her name made think she’d be purple. But there you go.

says:

And I quite like that people have always had their own ideas of what the characters looked like, regardless of the odd line here and there in the books. I think one of the nicest things I ever read in an interview with Jo was when she said a young boy came to her and said he pictured Neville as black with dreadlocks, which was quite different to how she’d always imagined him… but she rather liked the difference in ideas.
Ditto for me.

says:

I really love her eyes > They're just so GORGEOUS !!!
I also feel jealous > She’s very LUCKY to snog RUPERT lol

says:

Thanks Sue! Or who-ever from the TLC staff took care of that small matter!

;-)

says:

What budb said! Thanks TLC! *)

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I think many people have seen matilda because that had a black lavender in it. Just kidding. But yay can’t wait to see jesse in HBP!

says:

My only issue with this is that Lavendar being black is canon. They throw SO much canon to the wind, and this is just another example. Maybe Warner Brothers is thinking, “HP is already controversial enough…let’s not add mixed-race dating to the pot,” but I don’t think so. I don’t think this was a slam or anything…I just think the directors and producers aren’t as “tuned in” as we are. I know that might sound rude…I don’t mean it to be. What I’m trying to say is…they aren’t “superfans” like we are. We pay attention to every detail and it’s the details that make the stories interesting.

That being said, I’m sure this girl will be great. The fact that she’s white just makes her “canonly challenged”.

says:

futureweasley, how is Lavender being black canon? She is never described as such in the books. She is given no physical appearance. Jo has never commented on her race. Isn’t canon what’s in the books, what Jo answers to fan’s questions, and her website? I was under the impression that she never said what she was either way. In fact if she were black I’m almost 100% certain that she would have specifically told the filmmakers this fact, seeing as she told Chris Columbus that Dean had to be black.

Until Jo says otherwise it is canon right now that Lavender has absolutely no description. They could have cast a black girl, white, Spanish, whatever and we couldn’t say that it’s against canon because it’s not. Unless Jo herself would intervene and write a little comment on the script saying “Lavender is black”, as she did with Dumbledore being gay, I’m going to assume that this girl has Jo’s approval.

If we’re going to take POA film as canon I guess that means that Lupin is not only gay but also a junkie. I love Cuaron and POA but that was just hilarious!

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futureweasley, I have no idea what books you’ve been reading, but nowhere in any of the seven Harry Potter books does it say that Lavender Brown is black. Or white, come to think of it.

says:

There is no racial descrimination in the books or movies – just as there was no mention of Dumbledores sexuality thats why these books are so widely adored and prasied the let us think for ourselves- but just because the casting might or might not be exactly what we had in mind doesnt mean they wont do an excellent job. Jessie and Helen are both excellent additions to the cast and I have confidence in both of them.And yes some of the directors may have had interesting ideas in mind for some of the characters but as we now know Lupin gets married and has a son. For the most part though I think they each have done their best with the movies- except maybe Yates should have made OOTP longer!!!

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@Katie: Luna is in Book 6 and has a significant part, she was taken to Slughorn’s party. She was very funny in this scene as well, it also I think makes Ginny realize that Harry is doesn’t care about what other people think by taking Luna, because many people are in shock.

says:

I like this choice. She’s experienced too, and they didn’t choose beginners this time over.

I would say that I didn’t imagine Lavender to be chubby like this. Face-wise, I imagined something a little slimmer, but she was still hot-damn in my mind. She’s not gorgeous, but has potential to be prettier than Emma. Emma’s not gorgeous, obviously, but they have problems in the movies on when to make the characters look good. For instance, GOF’s Hermione moment was ruined because all I thought watching it was, “Well her hair is still the same as the entire movie, and she’s pink. GODDAMNIT.” If they make Lavender wear make up, and Hermione to ACTUALLY be brunette and dorky, I think it would be good.

says:

Meera, even though what you said about the Lavender in Mathilda was in jest, I think that might be true in my case. I usually associate names with the looks of someone I am familiar with. Although I’ve never known a Lavender, I did watch Mathilda a lot, which, as you said, has a black Lavender. I was only ten when I first read HP, so its highly likely that I drew my image of Lavender from the Lavender in Mathilda.

Also, just because I picture Lavender as black does not mean that I think WB cast the “wrong” person as Lavender.

says:

I am not pointing fingers at anybody its just with the last two cast announcements some of you sound as though you either need to have it look as you pictured or you will not like it at all- what we People who have studied psychology- call a black and white perpective- which has nothing to do with race Im saying you dont like anything comprimised or gray.

says:

I think she looks great. And I love that she has acting experience already because i was scared we were going to get another immature not so great actor like Katie Leung. But this girl is great and she’s 20, which makes it even better because she want be embarassed about acting crazy like Lavender Brown does. I always pictured Lavender Brown with darker hair, but they will probably change her hair anyways. I hope her and Rupert have chemistry, but not tooo much chemistry. LOL. I can’t wait to see the 6th film it’s going to be awesome all that sneak peak stuff got me really excited for this movie!!!

says:

She’s beautiful! Cant wait for the movie. And I sure hope they start to emphasize the relationship between Harry and Ginny….I’m tired of seeing Bonnie in the background..lol

says:

She looks JUST like I pictured her! Let’s just hope that she’s able to capture the bubbly, gossipy Lavender personality in the right way…

the only people I thought were black from the books were Dean, Lee and Angelina, the first two from their names (I can’t even remember whether they were described early on).

one thing with characters who aren’t described is that people imagine what they want, which is fine, but unfortunately it means that in the films not everyone can be satisfied by the casting choice.

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Linny: But does anyone else think she looks a bit too.. natural? I know, that sounds silly.

I don’t know if this is what you meant, but I had a similar reaction: she seems so natural, to me meaning so mature, so in touch with reality… I pictured a look of silliness about her. But then, that could test her acting skills.

says:

As long as she portrays Lavender as written (i.e. pretty annoying and pathetic) I don’t mind this casting. It’s nothing too amazing though as a piece of casting, I mean she’s not amazingly beautiful, pig ugly or totally unlike what was described in the book so it’s hardly controversial.
I saw the photo and was pretty much ‘meh’ about the whole thing.
I hope she does well though (as I do with everyone cast in the films).

says:

I had always picture Lavendar blond and pretty. I guess she will do. Nut I hope her acting is better then Luna. Sorry to sound nagative, but I care so much for this book, that I don’t want him to do what he did with OOTP! Which was take out everything great about the movie and spend 20 mins on a doomed relatioship. Also thing that won’t happen is Bill’s engagment, and Percy at christmas. Neither one of those actors are going to be in the movie.

says:

All this fuss over a minor character, who was there only so Ron could get some snogging experience. She’s great. She’s perfect. Let’s hope she can snog.

says:

I can’t wait to hear her cry “Won Won!!!!” and see Hermione’s expression…if they don’t do that scene, they will have missed the entire purpose of Lav Lav…hahaha…

says:

Heh. I always pictured Lavender as black, too. (No, I’m not confusing her with Angelina Johnson. I mean, honestly, Angelina can’t be the only black girl at Hogwarts!) It’s true Lavender’s appearance is never described; I just assumed the students at Hogwarts came from a variety of backgrounds.

says:

“Unless a character is described or has an obviously ethnic name I assume they are white.”

Fair enough, but not everyone makes that same assumption. I don’t see people being angry that WB cast a white actress, just a little surprised.

I assume, since Lavender’s appearance wasn’t relevant in the books, that young women and girls of many ethnicities auditioned and WB cast the one it considered best-suited for the part.

says:

first of all. I LOVE THIS CASTING. i do hope they go a little blonder for her hair. but wow. i hate her already! lol. and clutches heart..... no bill??? noooooo. that means no shell cottage?? or what? i mean. why cant they just throw him in at xmas or before hogwarts starts… just a little.. no percy… no REDEMPTION… NO FRED HEARING PERCY JOKE BEFORE HE DIES… NOOOOOO. damnit WB… but all in all.. good casting..

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..... shes not black… where you people getting this…. she was never descibed in the books… ever…...... trust me… i hate her…................. and jennifer smith was simply the name of an extra slapped to a character… she didnt speak, or get spoken to. shes not canonly black… so chilllllll.

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i think she’s perfect!
what amazes me is that i found out that she’ll be playing lavender brown a day before the announcement came. it was in the last article’s comments. there was a website with her pictures.
i was so proud of myself to be at least a day ahead of some.
uh-oh. emma’s got competition.

:]

says:

It’s not a big deal Jessie being 20 and Lavender being 16. I mean, look at Beverly Hills 90210! Those actors were playing teenagers in their 30s! Jessie being 20 is okay—they can make her look younger, and it will have a lot to do with how she portrays the character.

says:

Hilarious that they cast a 20 year old after all the strict 15-18 age guidlines.

Hmmm…alot of 19/20 years old HP lovers out there are going to be pretty annoyed…

She’s good for Lavender in that girl-next-door quite-pretty-but-not-beautiful kind of way.

Can’t wait to see how she interprets the character!

says:

For those of you fretting about the actress’s age, consider this:

If you had no idea how old you was, would you be worried about her age at all? I mean, how old would you think she was?

says:

She’s very pretty, but not how I pictured Lavendar in my head. That’s ok though, Moody isn’t anything like how I pictured him either =) I’m excited for HBP!

says:

Strange, I was under the impression that Lavender was black?

says:

I hate to say it, but it a race thing. Brown was clearly a white girl in book 6. They cast her and named her because no one thought that she was going to start dating Ron.

says:

I made one of the first Jessie Sites! So check it out!!

http://www.jessiecave.com

<3

says:

I’M JEALOUS!!!
but she’s beautiful….
I LOVE RUP GRINT!! T.T

says:

Kat! It is possible they introduce Bill in the DH movie. He does not necessarily have to be in HBP (although I would have liked it). It would be sufficient to have Harry arrive at the Burrow in DH and Ron tells him that his brother Bill and former Triwizard champion Fleur get married (they could even include a mention of that at the end of HBP after the funeral). Harry is astonished but pleased and then the wedding with the attack and later Shell Cottage is in. Shell Cottage better be in! lol

says:

YAHH!! She’s perfect! Well…at least as far as looks goes. We’re going to have to see her act to judge for sure. She’s not exactly how I imagined Lavender (I always thought she would have brown eyes and dirty blonde hair for someone reason), but she looks really good.

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She may be pretty, but she is NOT Lav-Lav!!

says:

I think WB is giving Laverder-Ron too much attention, that plot is one of the less important parts of the book. I hope they are not forgetting of the really important stuff just to include this silly plot in the movie.
I hope they don’t forget Harry, Voldemort, Dumbledore, the Ministry, the Horcruxes… are much more important in this book. I hope it’ not true they are not incluing the Minister of Magic just because they don’t have more time left after they decided to include this meanless plot.
Because instead of watching the movie 5 times, I will go to see it once and that’s all. I’ve been reading the forums, people want to see the important plots of the books. Maybe WB should read more forums too.

says:

That’s weird. I thought Lavender was supposed to be black. It would have been cool to see an interracial relationship.

says:

I imagined her more blonde,but it’s good anyway.I’m looking forward to hear a noisy WONN WONN!!! And why nobody is saying nothing about Harry and Ginny’s first kiss? I didn’t see yet an interview asking Dan and Bonnie about that!

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I’ve seen her! Her brother goes to my school and i saw her at the parents evening in our school reception. She looked really cool and i can’t wait to see her on the big screen! :)

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she is so ugly…...................ddddddddddddddd….....................i mean theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee….....dÅ¡pko….............

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She is just gorgeous and I’m sure she’ll be perfect for the part! Can’t wait to see the movie! :)

says: WHOA!!!!!!!
She is nice.......not good than Em! But finally Ron ends up with Hermione so I am cheery!!!!!!!!!
I can't wait to see her and Ron entwined in the 'vertical wrestling match'!!!! says: Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuukkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She resembles an ugly toad! I can't wait to leave the comments on watching the filthy pig kissing Rupert..........I wish it was me kissing him the whole 24 hrs.....................if you are reading this jesse then you are a lucky girl!!!!!
I am so jealous on you........but best of luck!!!!!!